This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-331250 filed on Oct. 29, 2001, Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-120599 filed on Apr. 23, 2002, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-257870 filed on Sep. 3, 2002.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 10-252467 discloses a battery cooling device for cooling a battery installed in a vehicle. The battery cooling device takes air from a passenger compartment of the vehicle and blows the air to the battery to cool the battery.
In general, a battery, which supplies electric power to a driving motor for driving an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or the like, is arranged adjacent to a rear seat located at a rear side of the vehicle. Thus, an air intake opening of the battery cooling device is also provided at the rear side of the vehicle, for example, at a rear tray or beneath the rear seat as described in the above patent publication.
Although the temperature of discharged air, which is discharged from an air-conditioning system of the vehicle to the passenger compartment, varies depending on various air-conditioning factors, such as a target air temperature of the passenger compartment, the current air temperature of the passenger compartment and the like, the temperature of the discharged air is normally controlled and adjusted to about 25 degrees Celsius. However, when the air intake opening of the battery cooling device is arranged at the vehicle rear side, for example, at the rear tray or beneath the rear seat, the temperature of the air taken through the air intake opening may be increased to about 30-31 degrees Celsius due to environmental factors, such as irradiation of sunlight, heat of an exhaust pipe of the vehicle, or the like.
As a result, it is difficult to sufficiently cool the battery, and thus the amount of air supplied to the battery needs to be increased to achieve a sufficient cooling capacity for cooling the battery. Consequently, the air blowing noises may be disadvantageously increased, and a service life of the blower may be disadvantageously decreased.
Furthermore, when a heat radiating surface area of the battery, i.e., an outer surface area of the battery, is increased to achieve the sufficient cooling capacity, a size of the battery may be disadvantageously increased, and/or a manufacturing cost may be disadvantageously increased.
The present invention addresses the above disadvantages. Thus, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a battery temperature control device, which is different from the previously proposed one. It is another objective of the present invention to address at least one of the above disadvantages.
To address the objectives of the present invention, there is provided a battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle. The battery temperature control device includes a rear air-conditioning unit and an air passage. The rear air-conditioning unit is arranged at a rear side of the vehicle and includes an air temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of air discharged from the rear air-conditioning unit into a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The air passage conducts air from a downstream side of the air temperature adjusting means to the battery, so that the air that has passed through the air temperature adjusting means is supplied to the battery to control the temperature of the battery.
To achieve the objectives of the present invention, there is provided a battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle. The battery temperature control device includes an air passage, an air cooling means for cooling air and a mode setting means for selecting one of an outside air aided cooling mode, an inside air aided cooling mode and a cooling means aided cooling mode. The air passage includes an outside air intake opening and an inside air intake opening and receives the battery therein. The air cooling means is located in the air passage on an upstream side of the battery. The outside air aided cooling mode is for cooling the battery by outside air, which is taken from outside the passenger compartment through the outside air intake opening of the air passage. The inside air aided cooling mode is for cooling the battery by inside air, which is taken from inside the passenger compartment through the inside air intake opening of the air passage. The cooling means aided cooling mode is for cooling the battery by air, which is cooled by the air cooling means.
To achieve the objective of the present invention, there is also provided a battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle. The battery temperature control device includes an air passage, an air cooling means for cooling air and a mode setting means for selecting one of a cooling means aided cooling mode and a simple air aided cooling mode. The air passage receives the battery therein. The air cooling means is located in the air passage on an upstream side of the battery. The cooling means aided cooling mode is for cooling the battery by air, which is cooled by the air cooling means. The simple air aided cooling mode is for cooling the battery by air, which is not cooled by the air cooling means.
To achieve the objectives of the present invention, there is also provided a battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle. The battery temperature control device includes an air passage, an air cooling means for cooling air and a mode setting means for selecting one of an outside air aided cooling mode and a cooling means aided cooling mode. The air passage includes an outside air intake opening and receives the battery therein. The air cooling means is located in the air passage on an upstream side of the battery. The outside air aided cooling mode is for cooling the battery by outside air, which is taken from outside a passenger compartment of the vehicle through the outside air intake opening of the air passage. The cooling means aided cooling mode is for cooling the battery by air, which is cooled by the air cooling means.
To achieve the objectives of the present invention, there is provided a battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle. The battery temperature control device includes an air-conditioning unit and an air passage. The air-conditioning unit includes an air cooling means for cooling air to be discharged from the air-conditioning unit into a passenger compartment of the vehicle and an air heating means for heating air to be discharged from the air-conditioning unit into the passenger compartment. The air heating means is arranged on a downstream side of the air cooling means. The air passage conducts air from the air-conditioning unit to the battery. The air passage is connected to the air-conditioning unit at a point, which is located on a downstream side of the air cooling means and also on an upstream side of the air heating means.
To achieve the objectives of the present invention, there is provided a battery temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in a vehicle. The battery temperature control device includes a rear air-conditioning unit, a first intake port and a second intake port. The rear air-conditioning unit is arranged at a rear side of the vehicle and includes an air cooling means for cooling air to be discharged from the rear air-conditioning unit into a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The first intake port conducts air from a downstream side of the air cooling means to the battery, so that the air, which has passed through the air cooling means, is supplied to the battery. The second intake port conducts air from an upstream side of the air cooling means to the battery, so that the air, which is not passed through the air cooling means, is supplied to the battery. At least one of the first intake port and the second intake port is at least partially opened to supply the corresponding air to the battery to control the temperature of the battery.